


Fineline Healing

by NowYoCandysGone



Series: It's not Grey's Anatomy (but it kind-of is) Hospital AU [3]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: And ignatz, Art, Bonding, Break Up, Break Up Talk, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Feels, Fluff, Future HO9, HO9 Verse, House of 9 - Freeform, I love Flayn, Post-Break Up, Recovery, Step-parents, Tattoos, Tattoos to express your feelings, Travel, and byleth, and seteth - Freeform, fifteen years later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22488919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NowYoCandysGone/pseuds/NowYoCandysGone
Summary: "Forget break-up butterfly tattoos. Break-up Wyverns are the new thing." ~Byleth to Seteth via text message.Following a particularly painful break-up, Byleth and Flayn embark on a girls' trip to ink the feelings away.
Relationships: Flayn & Ignatz Victor, My Unit | Byleth/Seteth
Series: It's not Grey's Anatomy (but it kind-of is) Hospital AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1602433
Comments: 3
Kudos: 47





	Fineline Healing

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes place 15 years in the future of HO9. Byleth and Seteth are married, and Flayn has been dating Caspar, a professional hockey player, for 2 years. 
> 
> Two months after Seteth and Byleth get married, Caspar proposes at a big game. However, Flayn has doubts about Caspar’s motivations and priorities and eventually calls the engagement off. Byleth suggests a girls’ trip to NYC to get tattoos from the same parlor they visited for bridal party tattoos. 
> 
> This is where the story picks up.
> 
> (I have placed five pretty noticeable references in this fic, all of them having to do with 3H canon. If you notice one or more of them, please share! But no cheating. That's no fun :) )

Flayn Assal packed her suitcase slowly and meticulously in preparation for her trip to New York City. She and her stepmother, Byleth, were going to be gone for ten days and nine nights on a “Girls Getaway” following the cancellation of Flayn’s engagement to the Fodlan Falcons’ MVP of the year and well known Instagram star, Caspar Von Bergliez. She and Byleth had deleted all traces of social media from their phones to avoid the inevitable virality of the news that their engagement had ended. Hopefully, by the time they returned, things would have calmed down and Flayn could heal from the heartbreak in peace.

As she packed her toiletries case on top of the rest of her clothing, there was a knock on the apartment door. Flayn left her open suitcase and went to answer the door. Opening it, she was surprised to see her neighbor, Mercedes, instead of her stepmother. 

“Oh! Hello, Mercie, how are you?” she asked, giving her best, most convincing smile. It had only been two days since the breakup, and she was certain that it was already making news. 

“I’m well, thank you, Flayn! I was wondering if I could…” she paused upon seeing Flayn’s suitcase on the couch. “Are you going somewhere?” That’s when Flayn remembered that she had forgotten to ask if Mercedes would be willing to care for her fish and plants in her absence.

“Oh, yes. Byleth and I are going to New York for a Girls Trip. I, uh...need to get away for a while.”

“Wow! Well, I hope you have a good time. Would you like me to watch over your fish and plants while you’re gone?” 

Flayn smiled genuinely this time. Her neighbor was rather secluded, but she was a sweetheart and had the decency to not mention Flayn’s breakup.

“That would be wonderful, Mercie, although I do hope you don’t mind sharing the job with my father. He offered to help out while Byleth and I are gone.” 

Mercedes nodded and gave her a smile to Flayn. “Not at all! Perhaps we can alternate days to avoid overfeeding your fish?” 

Flayn nodded. “That is a good idea. I will tell my father about the change. Thank you again, Mercie.” Her neighbor nodded and moved away from the door as Byleth approached from the elevator. 

“Good morning, Mercedes,” the older woman greeted.

“Good morning, Byleth! Flayn tells me that you’re going on a trip to New York?” 

Byleth nodded with a grin. 

“Yup! Our flight leaves in…” Byleth checked the clock on her phone. “Three and a half hours. Flayn, are you ready to go? Your father is waiting downstairs to take us to the airport.” 

The younger girl nodded and moved back into the apartment to zip up her luggage and grab her travel documents. Byleth stepped into the apartment to assist and once both women were ready, they waved goodbye to Mercedes and made their way down to the waiting car.

\---

After bidding farewell to Seteth with lots of hugs and kisses (and a promise to contact him as soon as they arrived at the hotel), Byleth and Flayn made their way through the TSA line and to their gate to wait for boarding. Seteth had (once again) spared no expense for his girls, purchasing First Class tickets for them. It was a ten-hour flight, after all, and he had expressed that he wanted them to be comfortable on their journey. Neither of the women was complaining, of course.

It was the fourth hour of their flight. Byleth had fallen asleep around the second hour and was just now waking. Flayn was idly flipping through the in-flight movies on her tablet. Byleth took notice that she was looking at action movies and not her usual Rom-Coms. Perhaps it was too painful to watch romantic movies for the time being. The flight attendant came by and asked Byleth if she would like a drink, then disappeared after delivering Byleth’s requested beverage. 

“Are you okay, sweetie?” Byleth asked. 

Flayn removed an earbud and sighed. The noise was laced with disappointment and sadness. 

“I opened up the browser to connect to the flight’s wi-fi and it defaulted to my news source of choice once connected. Caspar has spoken to the media…I uh, I didn’t read the article, but seeing him...” she said sadly. 

Byleth rubbed her stepdaughter’s arm comfortingly and leaned over to wrap her in a half hug.

“Oh, Flayn...I’m sorry. I know how hard it must be. How about we pick a movie to watch and get something to eat?”

Flayn nodded silently as Byleth waved over the flight attendant. 

“Your best feel-good food, please.” The flight attendant, upon seeing Flayn’s facial expression, nodded and went to get the requested items. She returned with a rather large bowl of ice cream. Perfect.

\---

They arrived at the hotel early in the evening. Tired from their flight, Byleth and Flayn almost didn’t register the large bouquet on the desk. Most hotels didn’t provide fresh flowers, so Byleth approached. There was a card.  _ To my girls, though the flowers do not shine a candle to you two. Have a wonderful trip. ~Seteth/Dad _

Byleth pulled out her phone and settled on the bed, opening FodlanFace and calling her husband. He answered almost immediately. It appeared as though he was answering from his laptop. 

[Ah! Hello, my darling. I see you made it safely!] Seteth said with a large grin. 

Byleth laughed and Flayn moved up onto the bed with Byleth so that they were both visible on the camera. [Hello, my other darling. So, was the flight enjoyable?] 

Byleth and Flayn nodded in unison. [Very much so. Also, thank you for the flowers, they are gorgeous!] Byleth said with a smile.

[Oh, good! I’m glad you like them. Hopefully, they brighten up your room a bit.] Seteth nodded. [So, what’s on the docket for your trip? I know about a few things, but I’m assuming you have more plans than just sitting in the hotel room?]

[Well, tomorrow we will probably just sightsee, get tacky souvenirs and the like. Tuesday night we are seeing Wicked, and Wednesday morning we are getting tattoos at Fine Line with Ignatz. Then, there’s a Hell’s Kitchen food tour on Thursday which I managed to get tickets to.] Flayn gasped.

“You got the tickets?” Byleth nodded and smiled. “You are  _ awesome _ !” Both women turned back to the camera and Seteth was chuckling fondly. 

[Well, it sounds like my girls have a big week ahead of them. I hope they have time for their nightly check-ins to satisfy a certain husband and father’s worries.] 

[Of course, we will, Babe. Expect lots of pictures and texts from us as well.] Seteth shook his head. 

[Pictures I will gladly accept, however, do not let me rain on your fun. I will be fine. I miss you both and love you very much.] 

[We love you too!] Byleth and Flayn said, blowing kisses to the camera before hanging up the phone. 

\---

There was something comforting about expressing oneself through permanent body ink. Using the body as a canvas took a lot of bravery and skill, and no one was more skilled in Byleth and Flayn’s eyes than Ignatz Victor. After Byleth’s bachelorette and wedding dress shopping trip with Claude and Flayn, the ladies had wanted to return to him for another tattoo at some point. This girls’ trip was the perfect opportunity to do so.

It had become somewhat of a tradition for Flayn and Byleth to get tattoos together. Surprisingly enough, at the age of 54, even Seteth had acquired a couple of new tattoos of his own. Perhaps Byleth, being heavily tattooed herself, had rubbed off on him after fifteen years together. 

Ignatz was in the lobby of the tattoo parlor to greet them when they arrived, even though they were a little bit early for their scheduled appointment. His smile upon seeing them was infectious. 

“Welcome back, ladies! It’s good to see you again,” he greeted. “As requested, I have some designs for Flayn’s tattoo prepared, if you would like to sit down for a quick consult?” Flayn looked to Byleth, confused. She hadn’t told Ignatz of her plan as far as she knew.

“I contacted Ignatz via email and explained what you wanted as a surprise. And don’t worry, your new tattoo is on your dad and me.” Flayn grinned and hugged Byleth, then they followed Ignatz back to his station to look at the designs he had come up with. Ignatz produced a large sketchbook and opened it to a marked page. The first drawings were a selection of charms for Byleth’s charm bracelet tattoo.

“I thought that perhaps you two would like to commemorate your trip somehow, so I came up with a few charm designs. My personal favorite is this one…” he pointed to a charm, two fish facing each other and curved to resemble a heart shape. Byleth already had a fish charm for Flayn that matched her husband’s, but she had to admit that the charm was adorable. 

“It’s lovely, Ignatz. I’ll do that one.” Ignatz nodded and circled the charm Byleth had selected, then moved on to the next page. 

“So, I apologize in advance, but when Byleth told me that you wanted a Cethleann inspired Wyvern tattoo, I got a little carried away. I honestly haven’t been this inspired for a custom tattoo in quite a while.” 

Flayn shook her head and clapped her hands together.

“It’s quite alright, Ignatz. That gives me lots of options!” Was Byleth mistaken or had a blush formed on Ignatz’s cheeks? 

He pointed to the first tattoo, a fully black wyvern that had the Crest of Cethleann on its chest. Flayn hummed thoughtfully. 

“It’s very nice, however, I feel like it should be slightly softer. Not an angry black, you know? After all, Cethleann in the books is a healer and a gentle soul. Though I would like the crest somewhere visible so that it is clear who the wyvern is.”

“I agree, and by the way, I can combine elements of the designs into a new one, if you don’t see one that you love,” Ignatz said while turning the page. The second option was not as detailed, much more minimalistic in style. Flayn examined the drawing.

“Once again, it is lovely, but I feel it doesn’t have the level of detail I desire. However, the designs on the wings are wonderful.” Ignatz nodded and flipped ahead a few pages, making note of Flayn’s likes and dislikes on the subject. He flipped back to a third option, A wyvern with its wings extended. Flayn smiled at this one.

“Perhaps if it had the crest here…” she pointed to the wyvern’s chest. “And the designs on the wings of the second one, it would be perfect.” Ignatz nodded and flipped the page once more. This wyvern was in the same position as the third, however, its facial expression was much calmer. It was colored in a gradient, black near the bottom of the tail, spreading up into a royal green at the top. Flayn’s eyes widened and her smile grew. 

“The colors on this one are gorgeous! I love it. Is there any way we can do that with mine?” Ignatz nodded and added a “green gradient” to his notes. He flipped to the final page. It was the same design just with a blue gradient instead of green. Flayn viewed it but shook her head. “I like green better.” Ignatz nodded and smiled at the two women.

“Alright. I think I have a good idea of where to go with the new design. I will go to make a template of Byleth’s tattoo, and then I will work on the meshed design for Flayn.” 

Flayn and Byleth sat patiently while Ignatz scribbled furiously in his sketchbook. He did not spare them a glance, as he was an artist possessed with inspiration. Finally, after forty-five minutes of drawing, he looked up with a big grin on his face. Flayn stood and approached, leaning down to examine the drawing. 

“Oh, Ignatz! It’s beautiful! I would be proud to have that on my body.” 

A relieved sigh came from Ignatz. He stood from his seat. 

“Oh good. Depending on how large you want the tattoo to be, it may be wise to do this in a couple of sessions, however, we will see how far we can get today. I’m glad I set aside such a large block for you, I would hate to cut things short.” 

Flayn nodded in agreement. “I would like it large enough to reach about mid-shoulder blade on either side and about halfway down my spine.” She explained. Ignatz moved to grab a tape measure from his station so that he could measure how big that would be.

“I should be able to do that in one session, however, I have another client coming in at 5:30. That gives us...a good five hours including prep and clean-up. Will you be okay for that long?”

“Yes, I will be fine,” Flayn said. Byleth raised her eyebrows at Flayn, asking wordlessly if she was sure she could handle a five-hour session. “I will be fine,” she repeated, staring pointedly at Byleth. “Let’s do this.”

Shortly after Byleth received her new charm, Ignatz prepared the template and tools, while Flayn was ushered into a side room. She was instructed to remove her shirt and bra. Luckily, Flayn had worn a button-up blouse, so she simply removed her bra and put the shirt on backward. She had anticipated this and wanted to stay as modest as she could. Ignatz came in a few minutes later, the template in hand.

“Ready?” he asked as he prepared to apply the template. Flayn nodded.

\---

The first hour started with relative silence, aside from the sound of the machine. The last time she had gotten a tattoo with Ignatz, she had been blindfolded thanks to Byleth’s wish to keep the friendship bracelet secret. She hadn’t minded, but the silence now was somehow not too uncomfortable.

“So, Flayn. How is Caspar? I think I read that he’s your fiance, now?” Ignatz asked. Flayn completely stiffened under his touch. It seemed as though she was not happy with his choice of conversation topic. Had something happened? Ignatz continued the tattoo. It was silent for about three minutes before Flayn finally spoke.

“I uh...I called off the engagement.” 

Ignatz felt his cheeks go red. Now that he thought about it, he  _ had _ possibly seen an article about her former fiance speaking with the press on the matter. He hadn’t clicked on it, though. Sports and internet drama did not interest him. He only engaged with social media for the sake of the business and adding to his portfolio. 

“Oh goddess, I’m so sorry, Flayn. I had no idea.” Ignatz stumbled over his words. They were not off to a good start...Flayn sighed sadly. “For what it’s worth, he doesn’t deserve you. I would never hurt someone as wonderful as you…” Flayn squinted and tried to look back at Ignatz. 

“I am sorry...at the moment I am not looking for…” 

Ignatz blushed and started stammering “Oh! No, no, no, no. You misunderstood, I just…”

“Just what?” Flayn’s tone was accusatory, despite the misunderstanding being hers. It wasn’t Ignatz’s fault that he didn’t know about the breakup.

“I’m just...fascinated. By you.”

“What do you mean?”

“It is true that I admire you...but not in a romantic sense. You are so strong, so resilient.” He moved to her left shoulder blade to work on the wing designs.

“How can you tell? You barely know me.”

“You have not flinched but twice since you sat in my chair. As someone who tattoos others frequently, it is admirable, and it makes my job significantly easier. Also, considering your mental strength after such a difficult event...what’s not to admire?” Ignatz blushed. “I’m sorry! So sorry! I don’t know what came over me, saying something like that…”

“No, it’s quite alright. I suppose I haven’t received such a nice compliment in a long while. At least...one that didn’t come from my father.” Flayn giggled a little bit at the thought. Ignatz chuckled as well, then looked up at the clock.

“Hour two. Are you still doing okay? I’m about halfway done with the outline.” He was still going as he said this. Flayn nodded and adjusted her arms as they were going stiff from being in one position for so long. Ignatz struggled to find something to talk about that wouldn’t upset Flayn further, so he stayed quiet for about five minutes while he worked.

“So, what brings you back to New York?” he asked. “I know last time you were here on a trip with the “bride tribe”.”

Flayn laughed. “Yeah. My dad and stepmom have been married for a few months now. The wedding was incredible. Byleth and I decided to go on a girls’ trip to get away for a while...no social media or anything.” Ignatz hummed his acknowledgment. “It’s been pretty liberating. Not worrying about what’s being said on Chatter or Instagram or FodlanBook. I haven’t wanted to check it at all.” 

“That’s pretty admirable, Flayn. So many people today rely on their phones and social media. It’s making a bunch of zombies.”   
  
“Do you use social media much?” Flayn asked. 

Ignatz shook his head as he moved for more ink. “Only for business correspondence and updating my portfolio. I believe that most interaction should happen in person, although social media has its uses. That is why I love my job so much.” 

Flayn gave him a genuine smile. It was rare when she heard such a thoughtful opinion of social media. “I am loving this design so much, that I’d like to put it in my portfolio. With your permission, of course.” 

“Absolutely. However, we should probably wait until it heals a bit.” 

Ignatz laughed. “Yes, that was the plan.” He continued working quietly. Ten minutes passed, Flayn was almost lulled to sleep by the sound of the machine and the feel of the needle. 

“So, Flayn. I didn’t get much of a chance to ask about you last time. You weren’t in the chair very long.”

“What would you like to know?” She asked sleepily. 

Ignatz shrugged. He didn’t know, but he found himself wanting to know more about the girl with the half-finished wyvern tattoo.

“Well...how about your age? If I had to guess...I’d put you at...22? Maybe 23?” 

Flayn giggled. “Wrong. I’m almost 28. Don’t you know it’s rude to assume a lady’s age?” 

Ignatz’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected that. He cleaned off the tail of the wyvern and started on the crest. He was making progress. 

“It was a jest,” Flayn added as an afterthought when she sensed Ignatz’s distress.

“I never would have guessed. You look much younger.” 

Flayn smirked. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Alright. Do you have any pets?” 

Flayn nodded with a smile. She loved talking about her tank.

“I have a 100-gallon fish tank. Currently, I own about 30 fish, each one I can recognize by name. But my favorite is Skittles. She’s a neon tetra. I also have some plants that I care for. I have cactus named Spike.”

“Very impressive. And Spike? That is a good name for a cactus.” 

Flayn giggled again.

“You don’t have to lie to me. I know it is an unoriginal name, but he just looked like a Spike to me.” Ignatz shook his head. Flayn turned her head to stare at some of the art on the walls. She recognized it as Ignatz’s style. He was really talented.

“I am not lying. I do think it’s a good name. So, what do you do for a living?” 

“I am a veterinarian. I just finished my fellowship and have started working primarily with reptiles. They are better than cats or dogs. Quieter too.” 

Ignatz laughed at the comment. She was not wrong about that. “You are so young and accomplished! I admire you.” Ignatz said. “How about hobbies? What do you do for fun?”

“I love to read. Uh, I go fishing with my dad sometimes. I love ice skating as well.”

“What do you like to read?” Ignatz asked.

“Oh, I  _ love _ the Three Houses series. Have you read it?” She asked energetically. Ignatz nodded and stopped briefly, holding out his wrist for Flayn to see.

“It’s my favorite book series. I got this crest of Cethleann when I was in college. I also have a tattoo of Failnaught on my leg. Those books got me through some dark times.” He continued the tattoo quickly, not wanting to linger for very long. 

“That’s very cool. It seems we have similar taste. I dressed up as Cethleann for Halloween like...four years in a row. That is...until I grew out of the costume. Why did you choose Cethleann’s crest out of all of them?” 

Ignatz cleared his throat. “There is something about her that I cannot put my finger on. She is the most unique of the Saints in the novels. I honestly wish that they had written a novel just focusing on her like they did the other three saints.”

“Well said. Although, it’s a shame, isn’t it? Perhaps the author will release one soon. After all, the Saints Prequels were only released two years ago. You know, Ignatz, I think that you and I will be fast friends. If we keep agreeing like this, I mean.”

“I would be honored to call you a friend, Flayn.”

The third hour of the session came quickly, and Flayn felt as though her whole back had gone numb. Perhaps it had by this point. Not that she minded, she had signed a waiver about it. However, something was on her mind.

“So, I told you about myself. Tell me about you, Ignatz.” 

Ignatz tilted his head to make eye contact with Flayn. He appeared confused.

“You want to know about me?” 

Flayn nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I know you’re an artist...but not much else.” 

Judging by Ignatz’s facial expression, he didn’t think it was worth talking about, but Flayn was insisting. 

“You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to, but I would like to know more if you’re willing.”

Ignatz shrugged. “I suppose that’s fair. Alright. I’m 32 years old, and I actually grew up in Leicester. I was surprised when I saw that your ID says you’re from Fodlan. I don’t meet a lot of people that hail from my home country.”

“Well, how fortuitous. Tell me more?” 

Ignatz laughed. “Honestly, there’s not a lot to tell…” 

Flayn frowned. She could tell that not a lot of people asked about Ignatz and his interests and hobbies. That saddened her a little bit. How could he go day in and day out without making meaningful connections with his clients? Flayn promised herself to rectify this, even if she was the only person in a while to do so.

“Okay. Uh...do you have any siblings? If so, are they older or younger than you?” 

“I have one brother. He’s three years older than me. He’s in training to take over my parent’s business someday.” Ignatz stopped briefly to prepare the colored ink. “I’m starting on the green, now.” 

“Thank you for letting me know. So, you’re really good at art. Have you always been good at it?”

“Oh yes. My parents didn’t like it very much because it impacted my grades when I was growing up. They wanted me to get a good job, have a better life than they did. It’s tough because art has always been my passion, but there’s not much money in traditional art. I just kinda...kept my art secret. My dad basically forced me into business school. I didn’t mind it so much, because as long as I had good grades, my parents didn’t say anything about my art.”

“I’m afraid I can’t say that I understand what that must have been like. I was lucky enough to grow up with a very supportive dad, and now a very supportive stepmom...I’m sorry you had to go through that, Ignatz.”

“It’s quite alright, Flayn. My parents love me very much and they simply want the best for me. They just...didn’t execute it quite right.” 

“Now  _ that _ , I understand.”

Ignatz smiled as he continued the gradient up Flayn’s back. It was quiet for a few moments. Flayn tried to think of questions that might help her get to know Ignatz a little better.

“So, tell me a fun fact about you,” Flayn burst seemingly out of nowhere.

“Well, I don’t know if it’s a  _ fun _ fact, but I have astrapophobia. Fear of lightning. When I was a kid, lightning struck the tree in our backyard and it fell on the roof. I’m not so much afraid of being hit as I am of having to deal with the damage that it causes.”

Flayn nodded her understanding. That was not an unreasonable phobia to have, especially if he had the first-hand experience with the effects. She decided to change the subject.

“Have you always known that you wanted to be a tattoo artist?” Flayn asked.

“I didn’t really discover the idea until I was about 21. I got my first tattoo then. The artist asked me as he was lining if I had drawn the design myself. When I told him, yes, he said- `You'd be a good tattoo artist, kid. These designs would sell no problem.’ Now, I was almost done with business school at the time, but I’ll tell you what, those words stuck with me.”

“So what did your parents say when you told them you wanted to be a tattoo artist?”

“They weren’t happy with me. They are avidly against tattoos, they think it’s the work of the devil. When I came home from college with four of them, we had a huge fight. I promptly applied to an apprenticeship program here in New York. I uh...I haven’t spoken to my parents in a while.”

Flayn turned her head, a somber expression on her face. “Oh, Ignatz, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s quite alright, Flayn. I am much happier here than I ever was at home. I get to pursue art as not only my passion but my career. My dream is to own my parlor someday.”

“What a wonderful dream!” 

“Thank you, Flayn. That means a lot to me.”

The fourth hour of inking came, and Ignatz was almost done as far as Flayn could tell, just judging by the location of the needle on her skin. 

“So, what do you want to call your future tattoo parlor?” she asked with a smile. 

Ignatz stilled briefly, lifting the needle, but continued after a couple of seconds. He didn’t answer right away. Honestly, no one had ever asked him that question before. Then again, he didn’t really share his dream with many people. Flayn was one of the only ones whom he had said anything to. The tattoo machine whirred and came to a stop after a few more minutes.

As Ignatz was cleaning up Flayn’s back and checking over his work for anything he still needed to do, he spoke.

“Birds of Paradise Ink, that’s what I want to call my parlor.”

“That’s an interesting name. Does it have a story behind it?” 

“Yes. The Strelitzia flower, more commonly known as the Bird of Paradise, represents thoughtfulness, joy, beauty, as well as freedom and immortality. And I couldn’t think of anything better to describe the feeling I have when inking.” Ignatz cleared his throat. “Alright. It’s all done. You can go to the mirror to take a look before I bandage it up if you’d like.”

Flayn stood from the chair, her legs were a little wobbly after sitting in one place for not quite five hours. Ignatz handed her a hand mirror so that she could see her back more easily.

“Oh,  _ wow _ .” She gasped. The tattoo was still red and angry in places, but she could see the beautiful design. Ignatz had done a fantastic job. After admiring it for several more moments, she returned to the chair so that Ignatz could apply the bandage. 

“Now, I’m sure you’re aware of the rules of tattoo maintenance, however, I’m going to go over them anyway. I’m sure Byleth will assist you in taking the bandage off in three hours. Once the bandage is off, wash it, and apply ointment twice a day. Make sure the tattoo stays clean and moist. Also, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me. I want to make sure it doesn’t get infected since it’s such a large piece.”

Flayn nodded her agreement. “How should I contact you if need be?” 

Ignatz wheeled his chair back and grabbed one of his business cards off the counter, then scribbled his number onto it.

“This is my personal line, feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns...or uh...even if you just want to talk.”

Flayn smiled brightly. “I will, thank you Ignatz.” She stood and shook his hand. Ignatz left the room so that she could dress, and shortly after, Byleth entered to help Flayn with putting her shirt back on properly.

As they were in the car on the way back to the hotel, Flayn sent a text message to Ignatz.

Byleth's gaze moved from the car window to Flayn. Her stepdaughter was on her phone, messaging someone. A glance revealed that she was talking to Ignatz and she was grinning from ear to ear.

**Author's Note:**

> It has begun. >:D
> 
> Thanks for Reading! How many references did you catch? Feel free to comment if you noticed one or two or all five or none of them. I love Ignatz so much, he is a precious boy, and frankly, I could see him being heavily tatted up. Hahahaha.
> 
> This universe is the brainchild of myself and TygerRises. We have put a lot of time and effort into expanding our little world that started with them mentioning their career in the medical field and we freaking ran with it. I hope you enjoy it!


End file.
